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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · straw · spring · fall · cabinet · kick · bay · vault

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. kick — in football
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — the season
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com